WELL, IT DOES MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND! "MASTERS OF MONEY"

Ok, I decided to try something a little different this week.  Just a tiny bit different, you know. I mean, the series I’m going to talk about is technically a series of documentaries so I’m not that far off the mark. However, they are less cinematic and more of the educational sort. Not surprising really, seeing as they were prepared by the Open University. See, but the thing is, given the turbulent times we live in, I think these are necessary and useful. If only because I feel we really, truly need to understand the world we live in. More specifically the economic situation we are in. Given the fact that the global recession (being global and all) pretty much touched us all in some form or another, I think this is important. Because these documentaries aren’t about some flashy banking scandal or something. They are about serious economists. And more specifically, how their scientific theories could be used to explain and potentially solve the global crisis we are in today. This documentary presents the three main “schools of thought” and invites you to make your own decision at the end of the day.

Now, the documentary is made up of three episodes of one hour each, each one dedicated to a particular thinker and economist. We study the theories of Keynes, Hayek (who, I admit to my shame I had never heard of despite my original International Relations training) and the inevitable Karl Marx. The episodes are biographical, as documentaries are want to be, but also contain a heavy-ish dose of their theoretical work as well. The main aim of the programme is to take these theories and apply them to the crisis today. Every thinker has (or rather would have, seeing as they have all been dead for a while now) a suggestion that is radically different from the others. You will not only gain a lot of general culture through these programmes you may also gain a deeper understanding of what is going on around us. The recession isn’t over yet, as you probably well know.

Well, like I said, this is one to be watched for educational value more than entertainment. It is heavy on the economics and its main aim is to put across economic theory, not juicy titbits from the lives of the three men. However, if you do want to start thinking about these things, or want to learn a bit more, refresh your memory etc, these programmes are for you. I mean, hand on heart. Numbers and I have never got along. I get on even less with complex economic theory. Give me words; I can pretty much get them to do anything. Give me numbers – and anything more complex than basic sums – my IQ usually drops to about 10. No, not the IQ of a ten-year old. 10 on the measurement scale. Given this fact, the Open University seems to have pretty much idiot-proofed the documentaries. No matter how familiar you may (or may not) be with economics, you can pretty much be sure you will work away with at least a basic understanding of the theories discussed and how they apply to the crisis today. I mean, it got me thinking about economics. And that is most DEFINITELY an achievement. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF REVISITING AND DIY

I know, I know. The whole theme idea has gone to pot again this week. But be fair. It's the holliday season. I work multiple jobs that are sometimes seasonal. There is a lot of running around involved. And not much planning for the blog.

However, I still have some good stuff for you this week. Firstly, I continue my trend (a trend of one hehe) of reviewing cookery books. Because I have hit on a real little gem! Talk about juicy ladies and gents!

But I also have a film for those of you who say "err excuse me. Do you actually expect me to live without films this week?" No. I most certainly do not. That's why I've got a top quality number for you as too. From one of my favorite directors too! I will be back on track next week I promise.

In the meanwhile, happy viewing - and eating!
Essie

RE-VISITED : "THE GIRL WITH A DRAGON TATOO"

I understand. With a best-selling series and more than one film adaptation floating around one needs to specify a tad-bit more which one I’m talking about. It’s the 2011 film adaptation directed by David Fincher that I want to look at this week. Now, at the time, I was a little bit pissed with this film. Well, mainly because there already was a Swedish adaptation. This kinda made sense, seeing as this is a Swedish book and all. Does Hollywood have to go poking its nose in and re-adapting every little thing going? Not necessarily. But credit where it’s due. I haven’t seen the Swedish version (yet) but Fincher has definitely done one heck of a good job. Then again, I would say that, he’s one of my favourite directors ever. Before I get any further with my rant, I’d do well to put some reasoning behind that sentence methinks…

So, for those of you who missed it, this is a story of skeletons in the closet and deception spanning decades. Michael Blomkvist is a renowned journalist. However, he is not having the best period of his career, as allegations he has made against a powerful businessman have turned out to be false, ending in him being dragged through courts and losing almost all his life savings. In the midst of all this however, he is offered an unlikely lifeline. Old-fashioned family patriarch Henrich, head of one of the most powerful family businesses in Sweden contacts Blomkvist. He has a personal assignment for him. Years ago, 40 years ago to be precise, his great niece Hannah has disappeared. Quite suddenly and with no trace whatsoever. Henrich is dying. And he is convinced his great niece is dead. But he wants Blomkvist, who has proved himself as an above-average investigator before, to look into it. Blomkvist begrudgingly accepts and teams up with the anti-social yet supremely talented hacker / investigator Lisbeth Salander to uncover secrets that have lain hidden for over 40 years. It may have been wiser to leave some secrets where they were…

Now, the story, I cannot find fault with. Lisbeth, the unlikely heroine of this series is a brilliant character, the epitome of an anti-hero if there ever was one. And honestly, there are not enough anti-heroes about for my liking. Even fewer “anti-heroines”. Blomkvist is a bit bland but realistic. You know, believable – which often is more than can be said for a lot for a lot of characters in this kind of story. And the story… I mean wow. I have seen a few detective / crime stories in my time but this deserves to be among the classics. It is both imaginative and exciting.

However the problem I found with the book is that well… Not to speak ill of the dead – the author of the book – but I really, really don’t think he could write well. I mean the story, the concept was great. But the book was far too wordy. Full of descriptions and explanations that were just… Well, surplus. That led nowhere. The book was full of good intentions but way too… Crowded.

Fincher has put an end to that problem. Quite unlike the book, the film cuts back on words and concentrates on visuals. And you know what Fincher is like with this kind of thing. Striking pictures, ominous, an underlying sense of danger. And silence. For anyone who has read the book, this fits S much better with Lisbeth’s character, don’t you think? Having been cut back and streamlined, the film flows like silk. And succeeds in putting your heart in your mouth within minutes. I knew the whole story and still I loved it. I seriously hope you don’t miss this one!!

A LITTLE BIT OF READING - AND SOME DIY : "AINSELY HARRIOT’S MEALS IN MINUTES"

Ok, credit where it’s due, I haven’t done books on this page for a very, very long time. But on the contrary, I have done cookery books before. Now, I do not own a massive number of cookery books. But I seem to go for a select few and over-use them, as it were. I mean, I believe in doing things properly. Ainsley Harriot’s meals in minutes are definitely going to be one of those books I am going to over-use. I have made one single meal out of it to date. But it was just SO good… I mean, SO GOOD. I had to share. This has to be an absolute treasure trove. And treasures (of this kind anyway) are for sharing J

Now, seeing as this is a cookery book it has no “story line” per se. But I will tell you about the concept, what I tried to make and the result. Now, anyone who has me added on facebook will actually know the answer to this one. And they will probably roll their eyes as I have been raving about it. What can I tell you, I like my food. Good food makes me happy. Risotto makes me especially happy. Home-made risotto… Well… Now I had some trepidation about risotto. One of my very dear friends who is a better cook than I will ever be most of the time has bad memories with risotto. I trust his culinary instincts implicitly. And risotto is jokingly referred to as “black rice” in the household to this day. Hence, to be fair, I was worried. But the result was risotto to rave about. And no doubt the recipe will be circulating, so more than one household was “saved” with one fell-swoop.

I am quite a confident cook at the best of times. But I wanted to be double-sure with this one. So I did things completely and utterly by the book. You know, bought all the ingredients and didn’t improvise (you know how it goes – “oh I don’t have any X – I’ll stick in some Y and Z instead, it’ll be fine”. I religiously followed the instructions. Which by the way, are crystal clear. The only fault I can find with this particular recipe is that the preparation time is slightly “exaggerated” if you see what I mean. It depends on the speed you chop at, but honestly, it takes me more than five minutes to wash and chop 250 grams of mushrooms alone. But apart from that, no issues whatsoever. Simple, easy to follow and ingredients that are easy to find.  And even though the prep. Time –wise I haven’t tried the more “speedy” sounding dishes but even though there was a slight “inconsistency” here, the recipe claimed it would take no more than 35 – 40 minutes and this was about correct. In short – give it a go! There are a lot of practical but novel ides in there, ideal to, with a tiny bit of prep, spice up your weekday nights with a wonderful homecooked meal. And the added satisfaction that “you did it all yourself”

ESSIE SPEAKS OF THE MANY FACES OF LOVE

Well, I started on love last week. No reason not to go on. After all, I have a lot of catching up to do, I have almost ignored love films on this blog for quite some time now. But true to my own nature, this week I have gone back to love films with, well... A bit of a twist.

Now what do I mean by twist? Well, you know how it goes in "classic" love films. The couple meet, fall in love, there is an obstacle, they overcome it, happy ending. We get excited for them in the process. Often, especially in mainstream cinema, there is not much more to the film than that. Which is fine in its own place. However, as you know, I like my proverbial "little grey cells" also at work when I watch a film. So I have chosen two films that actually ask questions about the nature of love as well. It's strength. It's limits. It's begining and its end. The result has been two both emotional and thought-provoking films I hope you enjoy watching as much as I did.

happy viewing,
Essie

LOVE STARTS AT HOME "ANGEL – A"

Ok, finally my conscience is at rest. I have finally, after such a long time, watched a “serious” movie. I do admit that going from animation straight to Luc Besson, the most serious of French art cinema may have been a bit of a leap. However as you probably know by now, this is the way my mind works. And I mean, come on. It isn’t likely to shock your system or give you brain freeze or something. I mean it might but only if you watch it in close succession with How To Train Your Dragon, for example. Don’t do that. I mean, even I don’t do that. Seriously.

That being said, just because Luc Besson directed it, it’s French and in black and white, please don’t let Angel-a scare you off. I know all that screams absolutely unwatchable in most cases, but this film is just so… Well in a word adorable. I laughed out loud. I even shed a few tears. And I marvelled at Besson’s wonderful black and white photography, framing the beauty of Paris. Seriously guys, this is not one you want to miss.

This is the story of André Moussah. André is a small time wheeler-dealer. He usually survives thanks to his gift of the gab and his ability wriggle out of shady deals relatively unscathed. However, as is often the case with this kind of life, he finally talks himself into a corner he cannot talk his way back out of. He is basically broke, with no prospects of getting any money and two very dangerous men to whom he owes a total of around 50 thousand euros. Seeing that his chances of surviving beyond midnight are getting rather slim, he decides to make everyone’s job a tad easier for them and kill himself. And just as he has climbed onto a bridge over the Seine, contemplating his last seconds on earth what should he see right on the balustrade beside him, except a beautiful woman, also preparing to kill herself. In fact, the young woman turns out to be a good deal more determined than André as she actually jumps. André however, being a good man at heart, jumps straight in after her and rescues her. However, it soon transpires that this young woman, or Angela as she calls herself, is not just a random passerby. In fact she is not even human. And her mission on earth is to change Andrés life for ever.

Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t have told you she isn’t human. Then again, Besson peppers the film with clues and honestly, this is not exactly the point of the film. I mean, unless you are really not watching the film properly, you will understand pretty quickly what Angela is. I’ll give you a hint – the name is a dead giveaway. So is the way Rie Rasmussen pronounces it. This film is about serious stuff. And I don’t mean random “arty” stuff. I mean stuff like learning to love yourself before you can learn to love another. Stuff like how that love can change you and change your life. The film is brilliant in that it doesn’t let up on the comedy. And Jamel Debbouze (whose name you do not know but whose face you are bound to recognise if you have watched a French film in the last 10 – 15 years. He is slowly becoming an “institution” like Reno or Depardieu, and for a good reason) is an excellent choice as a comic actor. The sharp contrast with tall blonde (VERY Swedish) Rie Rasmussen makes it just that little bit funnier. Honestly, you can’t get people to think about something so serious and so important without a bit of comedy though. Think about it, anything else would be just too much. A little  too cloying. And a bit like a cheesy greeting card. However mixing up the funny with the serious, the smiles with the tears, Besson puts a very important message into the context of real life, thus forcing us to really think about it. Note how hard André ultimately finds it to come to peace with himself. And ask yourself if, deep down, you have a similar problem as well…

 This is a beautiful movie on so many levels. Please don’t let the French or the black and white scare you off…

LOVE CONQUERS ALL... RIGHT? "SAMSON AND DELILAH"

I seriously do not watch enough in the way of Australian films. Off the top of my head I can only count off about three or four. And yes, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is one of them. Samson and Delilah is a wonderful film that serves a dual purpose. I have no doubt that one of the aims of the film is to portray the plight of the aborigines in Australia today, and it is thought provoking in this sense alone. But it also asks a question. Does love really conquer all? Can love really help you overcome everything? How far can one go for one’s other half, if it’s the real thing?

Samson and Delilah are two young aborigines living in a tiny desert community in modern day Australia. Delilah and her Nan make a meagre living selling the traditional pictures they painstakingly paint every day. Samson, one of their neighbours who lives with his brother and a bunch of other young lads, is basically unemployed. Despite the impossibility of their situation and all Delilah’s resistance, slowly, love blossoms between them. This turns out to be a blessing when a tragedy that hits very close to home, pushes the young couple onto the road. Even when they’re together, living on the streets is tough and survival is a battle they have to fight daily. Their love sustains them at first. But how long can it sustain them for? Will it help Samson and Delilah to their own happy ending, or does even the greatest love have its limits?

Ok, so first of all, a heads up. Director Warwick Gibson does several things with this storyline to make the film completely original and as distant from clichés as possible. And one of those things is minimal, and I mean minimal dialogue. Now as you probably know by now, I am quite a fan of minimal dialogue. I like it because it enables the transmission of emotion in what I feel is a more sincere way. I mean, yes, with emotions you often “talk it out” or something, but the essence, the real thing you feel. You don’t necessarily “say”. This is why it’s wonderful to watch the love between Samson and Delilah develop, with mutual shows of affection and almost no words at all. It’s like those warm, cuddly moments in a relationship where words can’t quite describe what you’re feeling. And if the words aren’t good enough, why bother using them?

Then of course there is the matter of the testing of Samson and Delilah’s love. Now the beauty of this part of the storyline is that everything that happens is totally, completely, and heart-rendingly realistic. And it speaks to the ability of the director that this goes for the good things in the film and the bad. You might argue that what happens in the film is only one of many possibilities, but hey, isn’t that kinda what life is anyway? Exactly.

And the other good thing is that even though the fact that Delilah and her Nan make traditional pictures that may well have once been considered priceless to scratch out a very meagre living is undoubtedly meant as a social commentary, it is not “in your face”. It is there for you to think about. But this film is, undoubtedly about love.

In short, don’t let the lack of dialogue scare you off. This little number has SO much to offer I am positive you could see past the silence and really enjoy the film. And heck, who knows, it may well become your introduction to minimalist films. Believe me, this would not be a bad thing… J